Unplanned Alliance -REMAKE-
by Projekt-Z
Summary: The wish of a loving mother bonds two scorned souls in the midst of a business tycoon's passing. Differing views on vengeance will lead two very different people to join forces.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – A Mother's Love

"Zell, I have two assignments for you. However, you can choose only one." A low toned feminine voice spoke up.

"Only one? Why is that?" Zell asked with a raised brow. He is a slim, lean young man with brown skin, red hair and scarlet eyes. He stood one inch shy of six feet tall. His red hair was styled intricately in the shape of a flame on its side, with bangs in the front that separated at the center of his face, being shorter near the center and becoming as long as his chin at the outer ends, slightly framing his face. He was dressed in a loose two layer T-shirt, the second layer being purple and the main layer was red and complete with a crescent moon with a red wolf on it. He also wore gray cargo pants and dark purple steel toe boots with a large strap covering the tongue of the footwear.

The woman that was talking to him was his Superior. She was a tall woman, standing at 5'10", with an ample bust, well sculpted arms, and toned abs and thighs. Her skin was creamy white, her hair was jet black, reaching just past her shoulders and her eyes were almond brown, sometimes considered hazel. She dressed in a blazer, a white button up shirt, a skirt that stopped at her knees and had a slit on the side that stopped at her upper thigh, and heels. She also wore thin rimmed oval glasses, with fake lenses not to damage her vision.

The two were sitting in a large room, it had walls decorated with all kinds of treasures from all over the world, a large mahogany desk, two chairs, a medium sized table on the right side of the room with a very elegant tea set on it, with two arm chairs accompanying the table. On the left side, there was a collection of book shelves that lined the walls and extended up to the ceiling, all possessing the latest geographic maps and other information regarding the world, as well as a few minor decorations on certain shelves, being photographs and the like.

"Both missions are regarding the same target. We received both clients' requests at the same time as well, so the priority rule doesn't take effect either." The Superior explained and snapped her fingers.

A large screen surged to life behind the woman and it displayed the picture of a woman of average height, with rosy-colored skin. Her face was heart-shaped, with sharp facial features, and blue eyes. Her hair is blonde, reaching down past her waist, styled with segmented bangs that frame her face, and is tied into a low ponytail with a decorative bow.

"That's the target for both missions? That's… Helena Douglas… isn't it?" Zell asked with a somewhat stunned expression. "What did she do to deserve that treatment?"

The Superior chuckled and looked at her subordinate, "Relax, Zell. One mission is to protect this woman, while the other is to kill her."

Zell gave the woman before him a look of confused frustration, prompting her to continue.

"Whispers on the street suggest that there will be an attempt on Helena's life during her next performance in France..."

"And why is that?" He interrupted.

"She's the illegitimate daughter of Fame Douglas. Based on more digging we had done, Fame left his company to her in his will… and as you know, Fame was assassinated not too long ago."

"So the mission to kill her is to put the company in jeopardy, while protecting her will help DOATEC regain its bearings and stay stable?"

The Superior nodded, "It would seem that way. And based off of those two bits of data… we can surmise who one of our clients are."

Zell cupped his chin, "So, Helena's mother wants us to play bodyguard to the celebrity stereotype."

"You can't blame Maria. She's the woman's mother. Possibly the only family that cares about her. You can't blame an heir for something that the founder may have done, or approved."

Zell stood up. He knew what she was referring to. "...That's why you called me in for this?"

The Superior nodded. "I want to see what's really in your heart. I know you're a good man, but every man has tests. This will be one of yours." She shrugged, "And who knows? I hear French cherries are very good."

Zell was confused about the cherry comment, for a moment, then he covered his face in embarrassment, "...Oh, come on…"

"I'm mostly joking." The older woman commented. She looked at the projected image of Helena behind her before sighing, "Still… it would be nice to meet the woman who I decided to name myself after."

"So, you took your name based on a famous singer?" Zell asked. He knew her name was also Maria, but the reason behind it was never explained.

The Superior, Maria, nodded. "When I escaped the Mugen Tenshin's Tenjin-Mon, I faked my death, and I needed a new alias. It just so happened, at the time, that I was listening to a lot of Maria's music to help me deal with the situation, the sadness and the stress. Someone had asked me what my name was for a job, and it just stuck."

"...I see." Zell replied slowly and lowered his head. He'd need to ponder what would be a better way to discuss things with her that he felt might be touchy.

"It's fine, Zell." The Superior said, as if to read his thoughts. She leaned on her elbows on the desk and tilted her head slightly. "So, will you grant the mother's wishes or chase your revenge? I'll need you to choose quickly though, since I have a mission I need to work on as as well."

"You took on a mission? I wonder where this is coming from all of a sudden."

"...I'm taking this mission because someone from the Village requested me specifically. I'll be going to meet them later tonight about the request."

"You're going to go back to the village?"

"Not necessarily, it's more of a meeting with someone. Besides, it's a personal favor, as well as a little bit of revenge." The Superior gave a small smile that was innocent, yet evil.

"So what is your mission?" Zell asked and folded his arms. He was a bit miffed that her mission was basically two birds with one stone, while his meant he wouldn't be able to chase two rabbits.

"I got a request to track down Hayate and Kasumi. They both disappeared after the first Dead or Alive World Combat Championship. Kasumi after killing Raidou, and Hayate was crippled by the same man a few weeks before the tournament was held, and now he's gone. Kasumi has the death mark on her head, like I did. Someone in the village, or close to it, wants me to find them and keep them out of harm's way. I'm taking the assignment for Hayate, since he's an old friend… and Kasumi's in a similar spot to what mine was at one time, accused of treason. For no damn reason. So, taking this mission means that I'm getting back at those councilmen for what they tried to do to me. I've got a plan to carry out." She looked at him again, this time with softer eyes and a questioning stare, awaiting his choice.

"I'll… protect Helena..." Zell said with slouched shoulders. "It's the right thing to do, after all. Besides, this might be able to benefit me more than the dead end leads I've been getting so far."

She nodded, "Good man. I know you'll find Donovan one of these days. You and everyone else will make him pay. And like I said before, French cherries are supposed to be some of the best ones to pop. I hear some of them are exceptional."

The Superior stood up and clicked off the screen behind her, and Zell registered what she meant by the earlier remark. He jumped up in outrage and exclaimed, "Oh – Argh! What the hell boss!?"

The Superior burst into a small fit of laughter at the teen's expense. "Relax, Zell. Also, I've got a pilot on standby, so hurry and get ready. She's my best pilot so you'll be there in about a day or so. Bring a suit, weapons, and lots of cash."

Zell shook his head, rolling his eyes in amazement. "Yeah, sure. I'll be heading out soon. You know I don't like to overstock."

The Superior nodded and watched Zell as he left her room. Once the doors cleared and closed again, she slid open a phone and pressed a few buttons before placing the headset to her ear. The phone rang several times before an older woman answered on the other end.

"'Ello?" The older woman's voice had a thick French accent that completed her older, somewhat tired sounding vocals.

"Hello, Maria. I'd like to inform you that your daughter will be under excellent protection in your absence."

The established French Soprano, Maria, chuckled, "Thank you for accepting my request."

"It's honestly a pleasure working for the woman who I'm named after… but are you sure about doing that? I mean, I'm no parent, so maybe you see things differently than I do."

Maria replied, a smile was in her voice, "A mother's love knows no bounds. I'm very proud of Helena, and I'd be willing to give anything to see to her prosperity. I've taken every necessary measure to protect my daughter at this point. And if the need arises, I will be her final line of defense. And in that instant, I want to be sure that she will have someone watching over her so that she might not tread the path of self-destruction. Hearing about her father tore her up inside. I knew, but I had no idea how to rectify her pain."

"This won't make her pain go away, Maria. If anything, it'll make it a lot worse." The Superior tried to gently argue with the woman, there was a hint of concern for the woman as well as the assignment that she'd asked to have completed.

Maria was strong in her resolve. "I don't have a lot of time left anyway. I'm growing more and more ill by the day and the doctors have no idea what the problem is. I'd rather die protecting my child than in some hospital bed somewhere."

The Superior sighed, wiped her face down and let Maria win. "...Alright. Keep your eyes open for a red haired boy. He's a gorgeous shade of chocolate too. Just like a Hershey bar."

"Oh my. He sounds very appealing. Thank you very much for taking my request."

"Again, it's a pleasure. We won't let you down."

The two women said their farewells, and The Superior checked her watch. It was getting late, and it was about time for her to head out to meet with her contact in the Mugen Tenshin village. She walked to a closet near her book shelves and pulled out her ninja attire and began to change.

Her ninja attire consisted of a cream breast wrap, a long sleeved fishnet shirt that reached her palms, puffy black ninja pants with white samurai waist armor, shin guards, tabi socks and sandals. She had twin wazikashi katanas holstered on the back of her waist. She swept her hair back over her shoulders before pulling it into a messy bun with a flared out finish.

"...The plan will be to relieve the head family of some of their heat by putting it on the councilmen themselves… I just need to see which of them will be the easiest, yet most likely, to frame."

Once she was fully dressed and armed, she headed out of her office and onto the roof. After a brief instance of concentration, The Superior leaped into the sky before vanishing and leaving small sapphire snowflakes to descend to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – True or False

Zell sighed as he stared blankly out the window of the private jet. The pilot was a girl with brown skin, lighter than his, short black hair that just touched her shoulders, and dark brown eyes. The jet they were flying in had belonged to her, long before she was recruited by the Superior, and that meant she'd been in every part of the bird she was flying. It was a part of her, and as such, was customized to her tastes.

There was a map on the roof of the cockpit that was covered in X's and circles, sometimes there were more than one circle in a part of the map, indicating that she had been to a specific place more than once, while the X marks were the ones that she was going to avoid for a while. The walls of the cockpit were decorated with pictures of herself and her friends, since she appeared to be so happy in the photos.

Both riders wore headsets that allowed them to communicate with one another amidst the roaring of the bird she'd had since she graduated high school.

A few hours passed before the two of them reached Zell's destination in France and she dropped him off in a private landing lane at the airport. Zell disembarked and waved to the pilot before she decided to check up on her bird, filling it up and running a quick diagnostic of everything before heading back into the sky.

Zell walked around the airport, not aimlessly, but at the same time, he wasn't quite sure where he was headed. He was dressed in a red vest, slacks and tie with a purple shirt as well as custom red and black air force ones. His collar was buttoned up and he wore a pair of leather biker gloves.

' _Well, I know where the place is, but the show won't be for a few days, so I'd better get a hotel somewhere to kill the time. It won't hurt to gather some data on the area, see where's a good spot to get something to eat…'_ The red haired teen sighed as he mentioned getting some food, and that task escalated to the top of his list of immediate things to do, since his stomach felt increasingly empty the longer he stood around.

He shouldered his duffel bag and retrieved his rolling bag before heading out of the airport. His phone rang twice before he answered.

"...Yeah?"

"Zell, how was the trip? You made it in one piece, I hope." It was the Superior, she didn't sound tired, but she did speak softer than usual.

"Yeah, I made it fine. Though, I'm not sure if I was supposed to meet someone here or not. Andy's taking care of her bird then she should be heading back out." He replied and took a glance around the city street that he was on.

"Good. Head on over to the hotel and grab some room service. She knows where you'll be. Oh, don't order any escargot. You'll regret it." She laughed softly and hung up.

When the line clicked off, Zell stared at his phone. "...Damn it, woman." He flipped the phone closed before opening it again to retrieve the messages about what Maria looked like, and where he was going to be staying.

"Hotel… what? Fleur Blanche Spéciale? This place had better serve meat." He sighed and walked to the location.

Hotel Fleur Blanche Spéciale was a four star hotel that was themed after the color white. The exterior of the building was the traditional brick makeup, however the building extended almost to the clouds, and one could assume the view from the highest suite would be breathtaking. The doors of the entrance stood out against the rest of the buildings thanks in part to the pearl white finish the doors had around the edges, with equally white door handles over a deep brown mahogany wood.

Zell entered the lobby of the hotel and was not impressed, he was sort of used to encountering very fancy establishments, it sort of came with the jobs. However, the lobby had excellently crafted marble pillars on either side of the main path to the main desk. The desk itself was large enough to serve five lines of people when times were busy. The front desk was large and crafted from white marble and polished regularly, judging by the way the top of the desk seemed to send light everywhere in the lobby. The corners of the room, as well as the edges of the desk were decorated with white roses. Up above, there was a large golden chandelier that was the primary source of illumination in the room.

There was a small crowd of people in line now, however there was a line and a teller specifically for reservations.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to know when someone TELLS you where you're going to stay that you basically have a reservation." He shook his head and walked over to the reservation teller at the desk.

"Greetings sir. You're looking especially well today. I assume you have a reservation?" the female asked with a heavy french accent. She had a small hat on her head and her uniform was white with gold accents. Her hair was tied in a low side ponytail with a crimson bow.

"Yes actually… I think a friend of mine called it in for me…" He replied simply and adjusted his bag hanging from his back so he could retrieve the funds needed to finish the transaction.

"Under what name sir?"

"Avara Kay." Zell replied and fished out a credit card that had a large 3 as the graphic.

"Avara Kay? I thought that was a woman's name?"

"It's not, but I get that a lot." He responded quickly, shaking his head as he continued, "So what am I paying for?"

"Uh, right, well, the reservation is for an ambassador's suite, just under the presidential suite. The bill will include our buffet, special delivery room service, and a full day at the spa. Whatever you don't use will be fully refunded."

"Alright, well, here." Zell handed over the credit card and the woman ran it through, typing up the amount needed to pay.

She handed his card back. "Thank you sir. Your room is on the 97th floor. Do you want me to send a bellboy to help with your bags?"

"Hm?" he retrieved his card from the woman, "Oh, no. I'm fine, thank you for offering though." He nodded and waved to her before heading for the elevator to his room.

Zell's room is a pristine white with ivory floral patterns on the walls. An extravagant king sized bed was located in the upper left of the room, with a small bit of space for a nightstand decorated with a silver and gold lamp. The bed was dressed skilfully with white sheets and pillows with gold lining. A single small couch with wood framing was present in the right side of the room, angled to face the large window in the back of the room. The scent of vanilla hung in the room, it was faint as to not overpower the visuals of the room. On the wall to the left, beside the bed, was a large white wood dresser that had an assortment of cloths and toiletries as well.

Zell eased his bags into a vacant spot on the wall and took in the place that would be his base of operations for this mission. He slowly explored the room before stopping to take in the view of the city. The sun's recent descent beyond the horizon left a small hue of orange that was fading slowly beyond the skyline.

"Well, the Superior certainly treats me awfully well. Not that I'm complaining or anything. This view is damn gorgeous…" He looked around the large room, the size was both impressive and a bit daunting. He sighed and returned his gaze to the skyline. "Sometimes I wish I had someone to share things like this with."

The immediate silence that followed those words was shattered, thankfully, in part to a stomach growl, reminding the bronzed teen that he'd need food or he'd pass out and need a lot more nourishment later on. In response to his hunger, Zell dove onto the bed, noticing it's massive softness, before picking up the room's phone and looking at the specialty menu.

"...I have no clue what any of this stuff is… but I know that she warned me about escargot, so I'm gonna avoid that. I'll just try their beef steak with some broccoli and cheese. Maybe add a potato too."

After three rings, another female voice drowned in a french accent spoke up. Her voice was a bit more on the sultry side of things, "Hello, how can I feed you tonight?"

"Um, I would like to try out the beef steak. Can I get a medium side order of broccoli and cheese and a baked potato?"

"Certainly sir. Where would I be sending these delicacies?"

"The Ambassador's Suite please."

"You will have your meal delivered, hot and fresh in a matter of forty five minutes sir. I shall cook it with the fire of my heart."

"I'll enjoy it all the more, thanks to you."

"You're too kind sir. Now, forty-five minutes, or you can get a free dessert with it~! Bye-bye."

The line clicked and Zell sighed as he was hanging the phone up. "...Forty five minutes eh? Well, that should give me a bit of time to sort out the mission's objective and how exactly to achieve it."

The red haired teen rolled over onto his back and put his hands behind his head. "The goal is simple, but… One target shouldn't merit more than one person… I don't know how exactly they'll be planning to attack though… If logic dictates anything… How can a person counteract a long ranged weapon?"

Zell's personal phone rang twice, interrupting his train of thought before he picked up. "Hello?"

"You make it to the Ambassador's Suite yet?" The Superior asked on the other end.

"Just got in actually. I'm waiting on some food to be dropped off."

"Speaking of dropping off… I'll have the client meet you in about thirty minutes, alright? I'll be sending her over now."

The phone clicked off and Zell pocketed his cellular device. He looked at the clock and sighed. "Guess I've got plenty of time to myself, even if I hate it sometimes."

The chocolate skinned teen looked around the room, taking in the finer details now; the ceiling was lined softly with thin gold lines curving about, the designs were reminiscent of a bed of flowers.

Before long, there was a soft knock at the door, followed by an older voice, "'Ello?"

Zell sat up and checked the clock, "I doubt the food's done yet, but hell, it wouldn't hurt if it was."

He went to the door, and after looking through the peephole, responded, "Who is it?"

"It is I, Maria. May I please come in?"

Zell opened the door without much thought after that. She was his client after all. "Madame Maria, it's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to have a seat?"

"Thank you very much, Monsieur..."

"Zell." He finished for her and helped her to the couch after locking the door.

The older french woman shook his hand and smiled a bit. "I have to thank you for taking this assignment, despite the risk that may come with it."

Zell shrugged and joined her on the couch, "It's not a problem, Madame." He replied with a slight nod, "A job is a job… and in this age, you can't really be picky about what people are willing to pay for, or what jobs you take."

Maria agreed, "This is true..."

"Now, about the nature of this visit..."

"Ah yes. Well, you've heard from your boss about the basic nature of the assignment, correct?"

Zell nodded, "Yep. Its simple enough. Keep your daughter safe during her performance."

Maria smiled, "Yes. It will be the last one before she decides what else to do with her career."

"...With her career? I thought she was going on a tour?"

Maria nodded, "Oui, however, she's had a change of heart, which I hope is for the best."

Zell leaned forward, onto his knees and he looked the french woman in her eyes. He noticed that she seemed increasingly concerned about something. "So what will she be doing now?"

"She plans to find her father's murderer, by using his company's assets that were left to her."

"To be honest, that's probably more dangerous than going on a world tour..." Zell replied. He shrugged and added, "But you must really love this girl. Especially if you spend that much money on her protection."

"Your boss told me that the more money offered, the better the agent's rank will be to take the mission. So, top dollar for my sweet daughter. She deserves nothing but the best."

"...I can tell..."

"I was so happy when she was born." Maria began, she pulled off her locket and clicked it open, admiring the photo that was housed within. "She was always a sweet girl. Sure there were some tough times, but all children have to go through the rough spots. I think she appreciated them more than most kids would though."

"Well, she _was_ more privileged than most kids. It's not everyday kids are born to a famous parent, or a business mastermind like Fame." He shrugged and tried, very little, to hide the jealousy he felt. He'd never had a biological mother or father, that he knew. Secretly, he felt like Helena was probably taking everything she was given for granted.

"Ah, Fame… He was something special, even if it was just a one-time thing. He worked hard for it." She chuckled. "Still, I know he wasn't a heartless man. He never seemed the type. Though trying to get him to settle down would have been extremely difficult."

"I'm guessing he knew that you were having his child?" Zell raised a brow and sat back up, returning to a proper posture, but his arms still were leaning on his thighs.

"He left just before she was born actually. He even took me to the hospital for her birth. Sadly, he had to leave the night she was born. He did give me a large bouquet of my favorite flowers as a parting gift though." Maria seemed deeply infatuated with Fame, even despite the fact that he more than likely had more than one mistress.

"So, you loved this man, even though he left you? To pursue his business?"

"...Well, it's not like I didn't know. And on top of that, It's not exactly easy to find a man who isn't insecure about a woman making more money than he is. He even told me that he wanted someone to give all of his hard work to." She replied with a shrug and she replaced her locket around her neck. The locket itself rested just above her cleavage.

"...huh… That's really something." He replied, trying not to sound sarcastic was a great task for him.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, referring to his tone of voice.

"Nothing. I'm just amazed that you loved a man… who… never mind." He shook his head and tried to figure out his own thoughts.

"I did what I did… mostly because I was pregnant with his child. I did love him, but I knew that eventually he would leave, whether or not I told him that Helena was his, or if he knew how much I'd cared for him. In fact, when he found out, he was rather elated. The money he gave me was put into an account specifically for Helena to use, which she has. And all of the love I had for that man, I gave it all to Helena. She is my pride and joy, and I will give just about – _non_ … I would give anything, to make sure she gets what she needs."

"Which is, again, why you paid well past top dollar to a nameless organization to provide one guard to your daughter?" Zell asked slowly. If he tried to raise a brow any further, it would have disappeared into his hair.

Maria nodded, "Oui. However, I've had good experience with Madame Boss. She hasn't disappointed me yet, with any of her operatives. She's the one who recommended you to me for this task. She said you were her best agent. Though, I'm not dumb. I know good, high quality, things don't always grow on trees. So I had to make a choice." She shrugged and held a very serious look in her aged eyes.

Zell was about to ask who the other choice was, until the door was knocked on again. He looked at the door before walking towards it.

"Room service, sir! Things took a bit longer than I expected, so I baked you half a chocolate cake. I hope you don't mind that."

He opened the door to see a petite woman with creamy skin, a beauty mark beneath her left eye, and glasses. She was slightly round, being a littler bigger than the average woman, and a lot of her figure was coming from her thighs. Her hair was in a ponytail and in one hand was his dinner, while in the other hand she had recollected his dessert from her bicep.

"Ah. It's no problem. Thank you very much Madame. I'll be sure to enjoy everything." Zell took both trays of food and nodded to her before turning away.

The woman closed the door as he returned to his guest, noticing that he was talking to someone that looked a lot like the singer Maria. She didn't say anything though, as she walked back down the hall.

"Ah, dinner?" Maria asked as Zell returned to the couch, placing the food on the table before them as he took his seat.

"Yes, Ma'am. I wasn't expecting you so soon, though, so I didn't think to order anything for you."

The sweet aroma of the chocolate cake started to make itself known to the duo as Maria took a deep breath. "Mmm, it's fine, just as long as I can sample that chocolate cake, no?"

"Help yourself." He shrugged and slid the tray with the semicircle dessert over to her. He handed her a fork and knife as well.

"Thank you very much, Monsieur Zell." Maria smiled at the young man and took a fine piece of the chocolate cake for herself,

Zell nodded, "No problem." He turned his attention back to his dinner. A steak with broccoli and a potato.

The two of them ate the food in peace and an hour later, Zell walked the woman to her car, where a blonde haired, blue eyed young woman was waiting for her.

"Mother?"

"Ah, Helena, this is perfect. Now you can meet your newest bodyguard." Maria gestured for Zell to come closer and she introduced them.

"Darling, this is Zell. He will be your personal bodyguard for the next couple of months. He's a hired hand, but he's one of the best there is. I promise."

Helena looked at the chocolate skinned young man and raised a very scrutinizing brow. Zell stood there with a poker face, and had to resist the urge to kick her out of the car.

"Zell, this beauty, is my daughter, Helena. You two be sure to play nice when your term starts, okay?"

Maria walked to the other side of the car, and Helena glared at Zell. He took a breath. "...Well, it's nice to meet you Madame Helena. I… look forward to working with you." The strain in Zell's voice was so obvious that a heart patient would have felt it.

Helena glared at him before she put on a false smile. "Oui. I hope you'll take good care of me. Ciao."

Zell clenched a fist and turned to return to the hotel. His clenched fist was trembling with fury. "...Luckily I don't have to deal with her for a couple of days…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Show your Moves

Zell woke up before sunrise, partially due to habit, and the other reason was that his personal phone was ringing.

"...Hello?" He answered dryly. He shuffled out of the bed and stretched from such satisfying sleep.

He was dressed in his pajamas, a white striped long-sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of gray cargo sweatpants with gray crew socks.

"'Ello Monsieur Zell. Did you sleep well?"

Zell blinked and rubbed his eye. "Yes, I did, but why are you calling so early, Madame Maria? It's got to be…" he glanced at the clock near the room's phone, "… six in the morning…?" His shoulders dropped. _'That means I missed out on, like, two hours of sleep… not that I really need it, but still.'_ He thought to himself and face palmed.

"Helena's awake right now and she's doing her exercises. I wanted to invite you out with us for a day on the town. Would you mind joining us?"

 _'There's no real answer to this question… I_ have _to go…'_ , Zell thought, growing frustrated. He released a heavy breath and replied to the woman, "Of course. I'll join you. Thank you very much for the invitation." His reply was deadpanned, while he knew it would be good to get familiar with the city, he was less than amused with the prospect of dealing with Helena again so soon.

"We'll come by and pick you up in an hour, if you don't mind?"

"...Sounds fine to me. I need to buy something anyway." He stated dully. He grabbed a washcloth and headed into the bathroom with his personal hygiene effects. He adjusted the phone, holding it with his shoulder as he ran the water in the sink.

"Very well. We will be there soon. Ciao."

"See you soon, Madame Maria." He smiled a bit to himself as the line clicked. "That woman… she's too kind for her own good, I swear." He flipped his phone closed and slid it into one of the many pockets of his cargo sweat pants.

Zell waved his hands under the water in the sink, to see if the temperature was suitable for him. His preferred temperature was unusually hot. He waited a few more moments before grabbing a tube of liquid face wash and squeezing a small zigzag onto the washcloth. He sighed and squashed the soap in the washcloth and lathered it up before running it across his face.

"...Damned princess..." He grumbled as he washed his face to start his preparations for the day. He even ordered a bit of breakfast to kill the time, and try to mentally prepare for whatever would happen today.

In Helena and Maria's estate, the mother-daughter duo was getting ready for a big shopping trip. Helena was complaining about having yet another bodyguard.

"Mother, you know I can handle myself. I don't need some uptight mercenary for protection."

"I would hope so. You do seem to be gifted in a variety of things, after all." Maria noted and looked at herself in a large mirror. "You picked up Pi Gua Quan very quickly."

"I have you to thank for that, mother. You've supported me through a lot of things. But I don't think I need someone like him to protect me."

"Helena, he's one of the best at what he does. I paid top dollar and then some for his services." Maria shot the 21-year-old a smug, yet knowing look. "And despite what you say, I know you think he's pretty handsome for a mercenary." Helena gave her mother a shocked expression, her cheeks tinting a slight shade of red. Maria giggled and turned her back to her daughter.

"Help me zip this dress up, sweetheart."

"Y-yes mother." Helena walked over to her mother, who was dressing in a rather flattering sky blue dress with short sleeves. The front of the dress was rather modest, while everything down to her mid-back was exposed. Maria also wore her platinum locket around her neck. She grabbed a small leather purse to complete her look. Helena got dressed immediately after, in a white blouse with flared out sleeves, fitted black trouser pants and Mary Jane shoes, complete with a large purse.

The two women gathered up the rest of their things and headed out. They were greeted by their chauffeur. Before they got in the vehicle, Helena asked, "Mother, what are we doing today?"

"We're taking Monsieur Zell with us to go shopping. You'd better be on your best behavior."

Helena rolled her eyes at the mention of the new bodyguard, "...Yes mother. I'll be good."

The chauffeur was a different one than the man they were used to in the mornings. This driver wore a butler's outfit with a cap covering most of her snowy white hair. She greeted the two as they entered the vehicle, "Good morning ladies."

"Good morning. Where's Sebastian?" Maria asked as she tried to sneak a look at the new driver.

The driver replied quickly, "He's sick, so I'll be taking care of you two today."

"I see… well, we're going to go shopping today, and we need to pick someone up as well." Maria started to fidget with her purse, just long enough to pull out a watch and send a message out.

"Where will I be taking you ladies first?" The driver asked.

At that time, Zell was just finishing up in the bathroom. He walked out in a pair of ironed black cargo pants, the crease was nearly perfect, it went down just past the knee of the pants. He changed his socks and grabbed his phone out of his pajama pants. There was a blue light flashing on the device, indicating a message was received.

"Huh..." he flipped the phone open and checked the message.

 _'Meet us at the mall, we've got a different driver and I'm not sure what she's about, so I won't compromise your location. We'll be there in a matter of minutes. I'll send the address in a moment.'_

The second message was received as soon as he finished reading. He raised a brow and finished getting dressed, putting on a black button up shirt, and he headed out. He glanced back at the breakfast that he'd ordered, and sighed. Luckily the mall that was specified was within walking distance. It'd take him twenty or so minutes to get there.

Their car pulled up at the mall and dropped off the two blonde singers before slowly pulling off. Maria and Helena disappeared into a large crowd of people who were too busy with their own devices to notice them. A few minutes later, Zell joined the crowd, weaving skillfully in between people and breaking out into a small food court.

He pulled out his phone and sat cross-legged on a bench near a food stand with a fountain on the opposite side of him. _'I'm in the square, by the fountain. Could you two get over here?'_

The message was confirmed to be sent, and even though he said he would be waiting for them, he did glance around to fend off boredom and the nagging fatigue that he was starting to feel from his body having to adjust to a different time zone, and the fact that he'd skipped breakfast. He stood up and wandered around for a bit before taking a snack from one of the vendors at the food court.

Zell covered his face to hide a huge yawn that escaped him. Just as they had seen and started to approach. Once he realized they were headed his way, he hoped that they didn't see him yawn. Someone bumped into Helena as they walked over, and Zell started right towards her.

Helena pointed an accusing finger at Zell, "Mother, see? He's going to sleep even before he even starts is shift. I don't need someone like him to be protecting me."

"...If you weren't wasting time trying to scrutinize me, _princess_ , you would have noticed the sleazeball that just made away with your wallet." Zell pointed out casually and walked past her and Maria to grab the guy that was trying to disappear into the crowd behind the women.

Helena took a moment to register what he'd said, and by the time she glanced back to find him, he vanished. She quickly opened her purse and started to rummage through it to find her wallet that held all of her personal information, as well as her credit cards, to no avail. She gasped when she couldn't find it. " _Ce qui_!?(How!?) It was right in here, under _everything_!"

Five agonizingly long minutes later, Zell walked back with a custom leather designer wallet and handed it to Helena before reclaiming his position ahead of the two women, giving them his full attention again. He was wide awake now.

Maria blinked and Helena opened the wallet, all of her personal things, identification and customized credit cards, were all there. Maria smirked, "Well, I was right next to you and I hadn't noticed that… it seems like you need to apologize and thank him dear."

Helena wanted to refuse the act of humility, but her mother didn't allow it. Maria gave her a stern stare, a stare that got more and more intense the longer Helena took to comply, until the moment that Helena was sure the woman would burn a hole into her skull. "... _Je suis desole (I'm sorry)... Merci_ … non, Thank you… for recovering my things. I would not want to look bad before my final performance."

Maria smiled and nodded, " _Oui_ , we both appreciate your services. I do hope that we don't have another incident like that today."

Zell shrugged. "Me neither… it'll make my job a LOT easier… Alas, I need to buy a few things. So after we take care of your business, since I was told that you were having a shopping trip, I'd like to make a few purchases of my own. If you two don't mind."

Maria looked to Helena, who shrugged and commented, "I see no problem with that. But I hope you don't mind carrying my bags around."

Zell sighed and ran his hands across his forehead. _'I'm going to hate this woman. I'm sure of it.'_ He thought before taking a breath, "Sure thing, princess. Granted, it's not in my job description."

Maria sighed, "You know, Helena, you should be a bit more kind to the man who will be responsible for your life soon. It's not very polite to be mean like this, you know."

Helena narrowed her eyes at the shinobi, "Erm… Right. Well mother, where do you want to start?"

Maria looked around and cupped her chin. "I haven't been to the spa in a while. What about you, dear?"

Helena put a hand on her chin, and the other supported her elbow. "...Well, it's been at least a week since my last massage… three days since my last manicure and pedicure… but to the spa? It's been a while, thanks to the tour."

Maria clasped her hands together, "Then it's settled! We'll go to the spa here. Is that alright with you, Monsieur Zell?"

Zell shrugged. "As long as I can get to you in case of an emergency, I don't mind at all." he folded his arms and blankly scanned the area. Someone snapped a photo of the trio together to show their friends as they were riding on the escalator, excited giggles and squeals escaped the small group that was ascending to another part of the mall.

"Shall we mother?" Helena asked and held out her hand to her parent.

"We shall, dear." Maria replied with a smile and walked with her daughter to the spa that was located a few stores down a corridor from the plaza where they were.

Zell waited a bit, he had a sinking feeling someone was going to try something funny soon. He folded his arms and released a long breath from his nostrils, closing his eyes slowly as he breathed. He opened his eyes calmly and slipped his hands in his pockets before following behind the two women.

Helena and Maria got to the spa a few moments before Zell did, and they were paying for their bath options. Helena whispered to one of the cashiers, "Don't let that man follow us. He's been doing that all day." She pointed to the brown skinned teen that was lingering a bit behind her, he didn't look the least bit strange though.

The cashier nodded, "..Yes ma'am." She leaned toward a burly guard and relayed Helena's message. The guard was about 6'5" and had a large muscular build.

When Zell approached the cashier, she glared at him and asked, "How can I help you?"

"You can't. I'm not here for anything. I'm merely here to wait on the woman that had just came in and her brat of a daughter." He replied somewhat bitterly.

"I can't let you _'wait on'_ those ladies sir." The cashier replied with a skeptical brow. She pointed to the door and the guard behind her flexed his muscular body in attempt to threaten the brown skinned teen, which didn't work. He was just disappointed that she would try something so childish.

Zell sighed slowly shook his head. "This brat of a woman..." He turned to leave the spa area and just elected to take care of some of his own personal objectives for the day. If he was fast enough, he could make it back before they got done.

Helena and Maria walked to the lockers to gather their towels for the baths, then they walked to the changing room."...Mother..."

Maria undid her dress and folded it neatly, "Yes dear?" The older french woman replied with a soft smile and gingerly placed her locket on top of her dress.

"...I love you very much. I feel as though I don't say that enough." Helena admitted somewhat bashfully. She slid on her simple cream one-piece swimsuit.

Maria smiled and started to slide her pale blue bikini bottoms on, "You could stand to say it a bit more," The older woman joked softly before continuing, "but I do appreciate the times that you do say it."

"I'll make sure to say it more often in the future then, Mother." Helena replied with a tiny smile on her face. She looked behind her, to notice that her mother needed help with her top. "Mother, allow me."

"Ah," Maria felt her daughter's slim fingers dancing elegantly across her neck and back, taking time and care to gently help the older woman.

Once she was finished, Helena asked, "How's that Mother? Is it comfortable?"

"Oui. It's perfect dear. _Merci_."

The two ladies looked each other over, wrapping themselves with their towels as they headed for the Jacuzzi.

"Excuse me, ladies. I'd like to direct you to the open Jacuzzi that we have." A gray eyed woman with short hair walked up between the two ladies and took them down the hall. They reached a door on the left side, that was at the end of a long corridor.

"Here you are." The woman said and directed them inside.

The room was dimly lit and had a mural painted on the far side, to imitate a natural feel. The walls on the other sides of the room were a grassy green and there were small incenses lit in the corners to help add a gentle ambiance to the room. The Jacuzzi itself was surrounded by medium sized stones for decoration.

Helena and Maria looked around, taking in the room's scenery for a moment before deciding to dip themselves into the water. The woman who directed them into the room wore a sinister grin on her face as she closed and locked the door.

Zell, who had walked away to visit a man's clothing store, had froze in place. "…Something doesn't feel right… I'd better go check on Madame Maria..." He'd replaced the clothing that he was looking at back on the racks and headed back to the spa where he was greeted by a less than pleased cashier.

"...You again?"

Zell huffed and said, "Look lady, I need to see Maria."

"Let me guess..." The cashier folded her arms, "You have a bad feeling?"

Zell sighed and covered his face with his hand. "...Yes. But this is serious."

"Oh please. Get out of here with that lame attempt to peep on the women." She looked back behind her, "Security?"

The large security guard that was behind the cashier moved to approach him. He sighed angrily and turned his back to the woman manning the desk. "No need for that. I'm out of here. Just don't blame me if you get a bad reputation for whatever might happen."

The cryptic threat was lost on the cashier. She shrugged and watched him leave the establishment. He passed a group of teens and vanished from her sight.

Zell released a ring of energy that bore a very strong resemblance to a clock without the hands, it quickly stopped everything in its tracks and turned everything gray and unmoving. In the gray-scaled, static space Zell walked back into the spa and past the frozen guard and cashier.

Zell wandered the spa almost aimlessly, "...I can't use this in rapid succession, so I have to make this count… I just wish I knew where the hell they would have wanted to go..."

He'd gotten past the changing rooms before the strain of the technique started to take an effect. He stumbled and had to lean on a wall to straighten himself and recall the Time Pause. He dropped his shoulders and gripped his head as he watched the color return to his surroundings, going from a dead gray to a vibrant brown.

"...Damn it…" He sighed and struggled to right himself, "Maria's counting on me to keep her daughter safe, but I'd much rather just protect her..."

Zell reached a corner and noticed a woman leaving a room. In one hand she had a knife concealed in a towel. Zell looked and noticed that it was a weapon since the towel was oddly folded and she was holding it in a very specific way. He elected to follow her in hopes of her leading him to his client and target.

In the Jacuzzi room, the two ladies were enjoying the relaxing jets in the water applying a massage to their lower backs. Helena was too busy relaxing to notice anything different, but her mother was a bit more sensitive to the numbness that was creeping into her body, feet first.

Maria furrowed her brows, "...um, Helena, dear… have you visited here often?"

Helena's head was back, laying over the rocks that decorated the rim of the small pool, "Mmm, yes Mother. I've made frequent trips here before. Why do you ask?"

"...My body feels… tingly. I can't move my legs either." Maria responded with a ting of worry in her voice.

"Um… I don't think that's supposed to happen, actually..." Helena tried to move over to her Mother, only to have her arm to go limp and hover on the top of the water. "...Oh my..." her face shifted into one of worry herself. "I… I have no idea what's happening, Mother..."

"Can you call for help?" Maria coughed harshly. Her body started to go more and more limp, she couldn't keep her head above the water anymore. Her chin was submerged first.

"...Mother!?" Helena watched the woman sink into the water. She wanted to move her body to pull the older woman back up, but her own body wasn't responding. The more she tried to move the more pain she felt until her arms and legs went completely numb.

The door clicked, which garnered Helena's attention. She turned her head to see who was entering the room. "Can you help us, please?"

The woman who entered the room was the same one that led them to the room. She smiled darkly. "I'll help you alright… to the next life."

The woman brandished her knife from the towel she was carrying, throwing the towel over Maria's face, and walking over to Helena. Zell, who was following the woman, had peered through the door before easing his way inside.

Helena gasped and looked up at the sinister gray eyes of the woman that was going to take her life. She panicked, trying to move again, only to have her body disobey her yet again.

In response to her strained grunts, the woman spoke up, "Oh my deal little heiress, you can't move. That is a powerful neurotoxin that gets exponentially stronger that longer you're exposed to it. Since you decided to swat away that little third wheel of yours, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to claim you as my own."

"...who are you?" Helena strained again. She felt pain shoot up her spine violently before she lost all feeling in her body.

"I'm your biggest fan. I _LOVE_ you… Helena Douglas." The woman replied as she crouched and grabbed Helena by her chin, holding her up to expose her neck. "Once I drain you of your blood, I'm going to take your body and make it my own personal life sized doll. You'll _NEVER_ leave my side."

Maria heard the whole thing, but the pain she was enduring stopped her from protesting. She noticed the door was slightly ajar just before she was completely submerged in the water.

Helena watched her mother's head go limp in the water and sink. She gasped and cried out for her. "Mother!"

The woman giggled maniacally before showing Helena the knife in her possession. "See this? You're gonna drip all over it. I'll be sure to taste a bit before pouring the rest. In fact, I might keep a bottle of you for myself~." Helena's eyes grew wide with horror.

Zell blinked in disgust. "Okay, this is getting to be too much for my head." He scooped the woman up, forcing her to release Helena's neck. Zell had a firm grip on the woman's waist and flipped her directly over himself and onto her neck.

There was a crack that erupted throughout the room and he flipped over the psychotic woman. He rushed to get Maria's body out of the poisoned liquid first. He grabbed her by her towel briefly before taking her limp arms and pulling her out of the water. He slowly eyed Helena before snatching her out as well. Maria was unconscious and Helena was tearful. She was staring at her unconscious mother. All she could do was lay there and watch.

He sighed and felt his left hand start to tingle a bit, "...I swear this job might be the worst one yet."

He used his tingling left hand to drain the Jacuzzi of the poisoned water before he ran some fresh water over his hand. "...And here I was thinking I could leave you two alone… I just hope that I wasn't too late to save Madame Maria..." He sighed again before glancing over to the woman in question.

He looked at Helena and shook his head. "...You need to appreciate what you have. Everyone doesn't have a mother who loves them as much as you do."

Helena looked up at him, her blue eyes tearing up again. " _Se taire_ (Shut up)! I _do_ appreciate my mother! You don't know anything!"

Zell shrugged, "I don't. But you keep acting like a brat and I will _never_ give half a shit about you." he crouched over Helena and his red eyes glared cold steel into her equally cold eyes.

The two of them locked into a staring contest for a moment. Neither of them blinked for at least a minute and a half. Zell sighed after a while and shook his head. "You're still a stuck up brat. You'd better thank your mother that I'm even protecting you. I doubt anyone else would want this job, outside of the pay."

Zell walked over to Maria and placed his index and middle fingers of his left hand on her neck. He released a breath of relief. "Looks like she's still here. I'd better make a run for it though. I don't want to have to destroy that table decoration of a security guard out there."

He stood up and started for the door. Helena called out to him, " _Attendre_ … _!_ (Wait!)"

Zell looked back at her. "...What now? You gonna insult me again?"

Helena sighed. "... _Non_ … I merely wanted… to thank you… for saving my mother… and myself."

Zell glared at the blonde, "...It's my job." he replied bitterly before turning his back to her and causing a bit of a ruckus, which got the attention of the security. He vanished as soon as he heard footsteps galloping down the hall.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Gratuity

"Zell, what the _hell_ happened the other day!?" The Superior yelled from the other end of the line.

Zell winced slightly and moved the headset from his ear, his sensitive ears ringing from the speaker's volume. He sighed before replying, "...Don't bring that up okay? I took care of the crazy woman before she killed them both. Though I'm not sure if she lived."

"I don't care about the psycho broad. I'm more concerned with what happened to Maria." The Superior retorted angrily.

It was noon and the sky outside was clear. Zell sighed and looked out his window, "Well, if anything, you'd better direct that anger towards her little princess."

"The hell does that mean!?"

"Well, Captain Clueless, the princess was the one who told the security not to let me in because I was 'stalking' them." Zell's response was very monotonous and he took a seat on the couch in his hotel room.

The Superior sighed, and an audible _smack_ was heard on the other side, "...Well, I knew this wouldn't be easy."

"You're telling me. There's a reason I hate dealing with celebrities. And I think you just found it."

The Superior chuckled, "You'd better make sure to pound that little French cherry into nothing. You'll deserve it by the time you earn it."

Zell narrowed his eyes and replied darkly, "Woman, stop making that joke. I don't see what you get from that."

"Relax. It's just a joke. You get too apprehensive about taking a woman's first time."

He sighed at her response, leaning on his free arm with his hand massaging his forehead, "You should know this, better than anyone… It's a _respect_ thing. A woman's first time is quite important. The same goes for men, but they don't understand the concept. I'm not going to go around, pulling a damn Raidou."

The Superior's joking tone had vanished with the small laugh she released and her voice returned to its trademark chill, "I'm beyond aware of that. Like I said before, you're a good man. It just takes some numbskulls more time to realize that than others. Besides, if I could mix business and pleasure, you'd be _my_ good man."

Zell closed his eyes and sighed again, "Why the hell do you have to bring that up…?"

The Superior's tone wasn't serious, but at the same time, it wasn't playful either, "Because obviously, I want you. But you're a good operative and I can't afford to lose you in this regard. I just want you to be happy, not miserable. Anyway, you should be clear to go visit Maria in the hospital today."

Zell stayed silent for a moment, staring at the floor, "...Right… I'd better get on over there to visit her then. Helena's last performance is coming up soon and if Maria's not there, I'm going to catch hell. I'll talk to you later, Superior."

Zell didn't give the woman a chance to reply, he just ended the call and checked his messages. Helena sent a message asking about him paying a visit to her mother. She was blaming him for what happened to Maria. He rolled his eyes at the messages and typed a polite response.

He didn't wait for the phone to confirm the message was sent, he just tossed his device on the bed and grabbed a neatly folded pile of clothes and headed for the shower.

Helena was waiting patiently, sort of, at the entrance to the hospital. She was dressed in an elegant white blouse with frills. Her black skirt hugged her thighs snugly, and also had a frilled end to it. She was pacing and checking a watch on her left wrist very frequently. She glanced off into the distance from time to time, as if she was looking for someone. When she caught the image of a red haired teen with chocolate skin, she rushed to approach him.

Zell held up his hand to cut her off before she had time to start. "Shut up. I don't need your shallow accusations. I'm going to visit Madame Maria, and apologize for _your_ childish behavior."

Zell wore his black leather gloves with a purple vest, black button up shirt, red tie, and black cargo pants with purple and black high tops.

Helena gasped as the offending remark, "How dare you!?"

Zell looked at her, eying her up and down before returning his placid red eyes to her angered blue ones. He was un-amused by her behavior, even if he thought she wore her current outfit very well. "How dare I? Listen princess, my job is to keep you safe. If you pull more bullshit like what happened the other day, I can't promise you'll live much longer. I'll give you mother the money back, to pay for your funeral. Okay?"

Helena had no time to react to his response. She stood there with an expression of combined anger and frustration. Zell walked off and entered the hospital.

"Hello sir, how can I help you?" The receptionist asked kindly. She was curvacious, a bit more rounded than the average woman, with glasses and short hair. She wore her uniform well, as the clothing hugged her body gently.

"...I'm looking for Madame Maria's room. I'm a close friend of hers… I want to make sure she's alright, and I have to let her know her daughter is well too." Zell replied to the woman and looked her in her brown eyes.

She was hypnotized by his eyes, "Um, right..." she stammered and took a moment to adjust her glasses and obtain the information she was requested of, "...There has been several women with that name admitted here. There is a woman named Maria, who was admitted two days ago, after an incident with a Spa… Do you mean her?"

Zell flinched inside when the woman reminded him of the incident that almost claimed Maria's life, and Helena's, "...Yes, ma'am. What floor is she on?"

The woman noticed the look in his eyes change to something of sorrow. She found it somewhat adorable but didn't comment on it, though her blushing cheeks might have betrayed her, "Maria's on the seventh floor. Room number 713."

Zell nodded and confirmed with her, "713?" the woman nodded, and he replied, "Thank you very much. I hope you have a good day, Miss."

She watched him walk off, "...Seeing such a handsome man like you… I don't get to see many men like that... So, I know I'll be a bit better today." She chuckled and wiped her glasses off as her cheeks started to return to their peachy complexion.

Helena walked in as soon as Zell departed for Maria's room. Her face was pink with rage, and when she got a look at the receptionist's pink cheeks, she had to struggle to keep her composure.

Zell reached Maria's room without incident, when he reached her room, he released a relieved sigh. He was greeted by the woman in question.

"Good afternoon, Monsieur Zell… How have you been getting along with my daughter?"

"...Not well, Madame. I don't particularly have patience for… the celebrity stereotype. I don't want to disappoint you, because I know she means so much to you."

Maria nodded, "Not everyone is as gifted as she is. You've said that before, have you not?"

"I've said it a few times before, yes." He confirmed slowly. "But…" Zell struggled to look at the woman. Maria was attached to an IV and a heart monitor. There was a collection of tubes running to and from her body into various machines to monitor various aspects of her health. She looked very exhausted and the sight of her in such a state made the teen's heart ache.

"But what?" Maria asked softly. Her gentle tone was all but foreign to him, it was the tone of a caring parent.

"I… Nothing." He replied slowly after a bit of hesitation. The french woman gently grabbed his hand. Zell looked back up at her and she smiled to him.

"The reason you're so upset about her… is because you're an orphan, is it not?"

He looked down and turned his head to stare at the wall. "Yes, I'm an orphan." He took a breath and released it before turning back to the woman, "That's not why I paid you this visit though. I came here to apologize about what happened the other day."

Zell's tone shifted and he sounded defeated. "I couldn't get there in time to help you. I would make the excuse that Helena's antics got in the way, which they did, but…"

Maria held her hand up and stopped him from continuing, "No. What she did was wrong, but you got there before anything could get worse. If we hadn't invited you, my daughter would have been someone's... twisted play thing… and I wouldn't be here to thank you for the deed you completed."

Zell took a breath and looked into the woman's tired blue eyes. "…I'm glad you appreciate me. That's what makes these kinds of jobs worth the effort, not the money."

Maria smiled gently at him, "Monsieur Zell, you must be patient with my daughter. Like all children, she needs to take time to get used to you. She was never without familiar faces in her life. I made sure of that. She knows a lot about responsibility and the like, but she just takes a bit of time to warm up to people. Though of course, that doesn't mean she can be arrogant."

Maria stared at Zell, admiring the young man for what he was before she continued, "You know, you are a very kind young man, just the type that I'd like Helena to settle down with actually."

Zell raised a brow, "...Um… Excuse me, ma'am?"

Maria nodded and repeated herself, "You're the kind of man that I wish my daughter would settle down with."

His response to the suggestion was filled with more confusion than frustration of possibly calling Helena his wife one day. "...And why would you say that Madame Maria?" His tone revealed skepticism; there was no way he would get along that well with this woman's daughter, that was the thought in his mind at the very least.

Maria smiled, "It's simple really. I could be your mother, and show you what it's like to have someone care about you in the way that only a true mother could. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"

Zell blinked and cupped his chin, considering the prospect of having such a figure in his life. It was obviously a new prospect, and one that he would undoubtedly enjoy, or at the least, appreciate. "...As much as I would enjoy having an actual parent, I'm sorry to say that the time for that has passed for me."

Maria raised a brow, beckoning him to elaborate.

"...I'm 19, and I've probably lost every shred of childlike innocence, thanks to my occupation. I'm a hand for hire, and based on the data, I'm one of the best at what I do. You said that part yourself. I don't think that I'm all that great, to be honest, but I'm glad that someone thinks high enough of me as I am. I would love to be able to call someone 'Mother' eventually, but given this job, I doubt it will happen." 

"...Fine then, if anything, I'll be your unofficial mother. How would that work for you?"

Zell raised a brow, confounded by this woman's actions, but deduced it all to her kindness. "...But I haven't done anything that would count as a 'son taking care of his mother'."

"You saved my life. That counts doesn't it?"

There was a pause as he tried to argue that claim, "You're my client, so that would be the professional thing to do."

"Oh? So you just see me as a client?" There was no hurt in Maria's voice, she merely raised a brow, she felt like there was more to it than that, but it was going to take some time to get that information out.

Zell looked into the older woman's eyes and she smiled, inadvertently making him slowly reveal a smile as well, "Of course, Madame. You're the client and I have to adhere to your requests until my term is served."

Maria raised a satisfied, yet curious, brow, "Well, you'll be protecting my daughter for about six weeks, starting the day of her last performance, so technically, your term has yet to start."

Zell explained, "Actually, the policy is that we start the term when the client makes contact, however, the official assignment's term is different than the preliminary term, where the client gets to know the operative."

Maria nodded slowly, "I see. Well, I'm glad that Madame Boss gave her best operative for this assignment."

Zell scratched the back of his head, "I'm… not all that great, Madame… but thank you for the vote of confidence. I'll do my best to keep her safe."

Helena was at the door, listening to the end of the conversation, and she was pointed out by Zell.

He turned his head slightly towards the entrance and said, "You just gonna stand there or are you going to speak?"

Helena jumped before retorting, "What I do is none of your business."

"...Yeah, you're right." He half addressed her before turning back to Maria, "I'll return for you this evening. Just give me a call when you're ready, Madame Maria."

Maria nodded. "I will. Thank you for your services, again."

"My pleasure… Better yet, I'll be back around five." He replied calmly and walked away.

"Very well. I'll meet you at the entrance if I can." Maria watched him nod and leave before she shifted slightly, so that she could properly address Helena.

"Mother, are you feeling any better?" Helena asked and delicately touched her mother's nearest hand.

"I'll be fine dear." The older woman replied and sat up a little more, so her eyes would be more level with Helena's.

"But… Well, I'm sorry about what happened at the spa. I had no idea that was going to happen. I assure you, if I had known, I would have..." Helena's voice was fast, but she started to trail off and slow down when she started to notice her mother's stern glare again.

"Helena, dear, I know you think that you have everything under control, but this is the type of stuff that I want him around for. You think you can do everything, but you cannot. This young man is a bodyguard, he has experience that you do not. You're a celebrity, and that means you have a certain level of appearance to keep up."

Maria sighed and tried to catch her breath before she continued, "I hate referring to his work in this manner, but the dirty work of obsessive fans is his to deal with. You'll have him around for about two months, so try to get along with him a bit better, you hear? I've high expectations of you, and I want you to have a pleasant life. He's only here to help keep you safe. If you keep this act up, it'll make his job that much more of a hassle. I know the kind of woman you are, so no more petty behavior, understand?"

Helena lowered her gaze and let her mother's words sink in, "Yes mother. I'll try to act more appreciatively of the sacrifice you've made with hiring this new bodyguard."

Maria nodded, "Good. Now, try to relax a bit. I'll be out of here this evening, and I want the two of you to have dinner with me."

Helena smiled and nodded, "Yes mother. I'll be back this evening to pick you up, if you don't mind?"

"I'll have Monsieur Zell taking care of me actually, but you can accompany us, it would be a great pleasure to have you two sorting out some differences here and there."

Helena had to suppress the urge to cringe before making another move. " _Oui_ mother. I'll do my best to… calm the rapid water between us."

"Thank you dear. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get a little bit of rest."

"Rest well, mother. I'll be back soon." Helena replied and hugged her mother carefully, she wanted to avoid all of the IVs that were everywhere on the older woman.

Helena left the room and found herself wandering down to the cafeteria. When she arrived, she was pleased to see that there weren't a lot of people down there, which meant that she could possibly have some time to herself. She scanned the area for paparazzi, and luckily found none; however, she did spot a certain chocolate skinned teen with red hair. He sat before a rather large sandwich with several kinds of meat, lettuce, and tomato. It could be assumed that there were other toppings between the two slices of what looked like wheat bread as well. Helena also noticed that he looked to be on the phone with someone as she approached him.

"...I told you before, I don't always take missions for the gratuity. I have to think about more than just a way to make the rent, or pay my other bills." he sighed and listened to the phone a bit before replying again, "So what? Ulterior motives are things that everyone has. It's just a matter of what the motives themselves are."

Helena raised a brow and politely interrupted him, "Excuse moi, Monsieur Zell, I would like to have a word with you."

Zell shook his head and sighed, "Sure. I'll go over the other information about the measurements later. I don't want my outfit to be tight. That's just uncomfortable. Bye."

He flipped the phone closed and looked at Helena, making a gesture for her to sit on the opposite side of the table. "...What can I do for you?"

Helena took a seat and shifted a bit uncomfortably before speaking, "Um… My mother wanted me to apologize for my past behavior, so I wanted to take care of that…"

Zell nodded his head, "Mhm, okay."

"I apologize for being… so difficult to deal with. I'm sort of not used to this kind of thing."

"Used to what? Apologizing? Or having a decent bodyguard that _won't_ try to peep on you while you're getting a spa treatment?" He folded his arms, it was obvious that he was still a bit peeved about something, specifically the shenanigans that happened two days ago at the spa.

Helena sighed and tried to curb her anger. "...It's both actually. That's why I don't have a bodyguard. I always catch them doing unsavory things around me, or regarding me. It gives me a bad reputation, you see? I don't need to have a singing career that tabloids can blow out of proportion because of a perverted bodyguard..."

Zell sighed and folded his arms before responding in a politely monotonous tone, "I know that. But it doesn't mean you get to lump me in with the perverts that you had in the past. So, are you going to be coming to the dinner that Madame Maria wants to have tonight?"

The blonde nodded, " _Oui_ , mother wants me to try to be more civilized around you. So in order to make my mother happy, I will behave. That doesn't mean that your test is over either."

Zell took a bit of the large sandwich before him. "Sure. I doubt you'll get anything out of me, aside from the occasional off-duty spite. Which can be VERY hard to deal with."

"Oh, is that a challenge?" Helena smirked, "Because if so, then I whole-heartedly accept!"

"Hm, well of course. But, when are you planning on having that final performance? I do need to know that. I have to start preparing for that assignment."

"Ah, well, I may have it pushed back a few weeks. I want my mother to be in peak condition. It also gives me some time to think about what else I'll be doing in the future."

"Like what exactly?" He asked. The half interested question didn't go unnoticed by the french blonde, but she decided to humor him and answer it anyway.

"I may decide to go on one last tour, then go and do something else, maybe actually try to do some of the things that my mother wants me to do."

"And what are some of those things?" He chomped into his sandwich with a brow raised as he chewed.

"She has been trying to set me up with someone, to marry. But I haven't been interested in that. I'm thinking about expanding my career in some way."

"...Marriage? Hm… Must mean something important if she wants you to do that so soon." He tried to sound uninterested, but when he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, as he stuffed the remains of his sandwich into his mouth, an image of Helena in a very flattering white wedding gown entered his mind. He thought about what Maria had just told him not too long ago as well, about wanting to have him as her son, even going so far as to offer Helena's hand in marriage to do so. He cringed in disgust and almost choked on his sandwich.

Helena noticed it the shift in his facial expression ever so slightly, and noticed how he fought the urge to act again. "What's wrong with you?"

Zell shook his head and swallowed the sandwich, "...Nothing. I'm just a bit more hungry than I thought I would be… I'll be back soon to pick up Madame Maria, so make sure you're prepared too, alright?" With a soft push, he was up and away from the table and heading for the exit.

Helena scrutinized the younger man before she reluctantly nodded, " _Oui_. See you later."

Zell exited the cafeteria and just as the door had closed, Helena propped her head on her hand, leaning on the table before mumbling, "Hmm… mother was right, he is pretty handsome. But that doesn't mean I can let him do whatever he wants. I'll make sure to make him earn every penny my mother paid for him to show his face."

Helena pulled out her phone and tapped a few keys here and there. Zell was walking out of the facility, and before he made it out of the parking lot, Zell's phone jingled with a notification; it was the date of Helena's 'last performance'. She had finally made a statement about having the last performance in two weeks. The rest of the details were not yet listed.

"...So I guess my trial period is about to be over..." he sighed and looked back to the hospital one last time before going on back to his hotel.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Bonds of Mother and Child

The stage was set. Maria looked into the audience, calmly scanning to make sure her hired hand was available. Zell was walking towards the stage, scanning the setting himself. There were a lot more security guards in obvious places; standing by the exits in the auditorium, and by some of the aisles.

Zell was dressed in a fitted gray fitted button up shirt, a black satin vest, freshly pressed black cargo pants, black steel toe combat boots with silver zippers extending over the tongue of the shoes, leather gloves and he had a small quiver strapped to his right pants leg.

The opera house itself was decorated quite lavishly. Polished golden pillars separated the booths in the balcony section overlooking the stage, and gold lined the red fold away chairs on the ground floor, and there were some small gold posts that divided the rows up. The aisles were lined with red carpet that was cleaned regularly, judging by the shine it released.

The stage was grandiose and had gold linings all around. The lighting fixtures in the stage were shimmering in silver, while the wood was polished, waxed and pearly white.

Zell sighed and glanced around, "Well, I have no idea how well this will work, but I'm going to give it a shot." he mumbled to himself and took a seat by the stage, just out of the spotlights' coverage area.

Maria looked to him and they nodded slowly to one another. The audience started to file in to watch Helena's performance. Maria was coaching Helena during her last warm ups. Once she was satisfied with the results of the vocal exercises, she looked at Helena with a tired yet very happy smile and allowed her to start her performance.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight." Helena spoke up as the final stragglers started to join the audience. "This will be my last performance, for a while. I hope you all will enjoy it."

The crowd cheered and whistled loudly, showing their gratitude and appreciation for the woman's vocal performances. Once the cheers died down, the lights faded in and a spotlight focused only on her.

About five minutes in, Zell checked his watch and started to make his patrol rounds. He moved thoroughly and swiftly, most of it was out of fear of failing his mission. 'Protect Helena.' It was going to be his mental chant until the end of her performance.

Zell armed himself with a miniature crossbow for easy maneuverability, along with it being a bit easier to use and sneak into the Opera House. It has laser sight and a scope, so it would allow him to lock onto anything that seemed suspicious.

Thirty or so minutes into the performance, Zell was coming back to his post at the base of the stage. He was making regular patrols sooner, since things were a bit too quiet. He'd planned to wait ten minutes before going around again and checking things out.

It was during this time that a white haired woman had sneaked into one of the higher levels of the building. She wore a black and white leather sneaking suit that was zipped just up to her waist, revealing her healthy bust in proper lighting. On her left hand's index finger was a special needle-like weapon and it had a green sheen over it's gold finish. Strapped to her back was a custom made PSG-1 sniper rifle with one round of ammunition on her waist. She eased around some guards, while silently disarming and taking out the more capable seeming guards with the needle weapon on her hand.

The assassin started to set up her equipment in a small corner of one of the viewing halls several hundred feet above the stage in one of the balconies. She received a phone call just as she finished her set up. "I'm in position, do you want me to take her out right away or wait for her big finale?" her voice was sultry, and was very English.

A deep, cold voice responded on the opposite end of the line, "...Wait for the big finish if you can help it."

"Acknowledged." The assassin replied, a smile grew onto her face as she watched the 21 year old Soprano on the stage through her scope.

Zell had departed from the stage again, to do another round of scouting when he spotted what appeared to be drops of blood on one of the exits that lead to the foyer of the building. One of the patrol officers was missing as well, which sent the chocolate skinned young man into caution mode.

He eased around a bit more carefully, following a small trail of fresh blood to a janitor's closet near the exit where he'd discovered the signs of an earlier encounter. He only needed to take a whiff of the air. Someone was here, and he'd need to find them as soon as possible.

The assassin was in place, watching patiently with a smile on her features. "Well, well… Lucky for you, you take after your mother."

The assassin silently admired the soprano before she'd detected the signs of additional movement in the hall coming up to where she was located.

"Someone's around here. We've got to find them."

"All forces, split up and report anything you find at regular intervals."

"Sir!"

The assassin waited calmly, silently adjusting her rifle and sliding it onto her back. The sounds of heavy footsteps were fast approaching, yet she moved at a leisurely pace. The sounds of doors being forced open were coming closer and closer to her location, however, just as the door swung open in the booth she had decided to camp in, she vanished.

"Uh, sir, we're all clear. Are you sure that someone was around here?" one of the security guards asked.

The boss replied, almost blaring his affirmation, "OF COURSE I'M SURE!" He looked in the room once again, only to be greeted with nothing and sighed. "...Keep a careful look out men. Nothing goes in or comes out without us knowing. You understand?"

"Sir!" the security firm's footsteps trotted away into the distance.

"...That was almost too easy… but still, one of them is a cut above the others if they even noticed me at all… Interesting." The assassin smiled to herself before resuming her position in the corner of the balcony's booth. With Helena's finale coming up, the assassin started to prepare herself for the single shot she'd need. Her laser sight scanned up and down Helen's body, slowly and surely, in almost a lustful manner.

Maria's sight locked onto something amidst the audience, and Zell quickly locked onto it as well. There was a very thin bead of red light that seemed to drift through the air and onto Helena's person, slowly moving up and down her body as she started the finale.

Zell identified it as soon as he'd noticed it: laser sight. He whipped his head around trying to find the area it was coming from, loading up his crossbow all the while. Once he located it, he aimed at the source, higher in the audience, around the balconies. He released two arrows from his crossbow in succession. The shots were on their mark, the confirmation being the loud clank that was heard briefly before a loud bang echoed through the area.

Helena was in the middle of her finale; however, thanks to someone shoving her, somewhat violently out of the way, she stumbled back and fell onto her butt. She glared up to see who had done such a thing, before the sounds of tearing flesh reached her ears. "M-mother? Mother!" The image placed before Helena would possibly tear at her for a long time to come.

Zell looked up, noticing something in the darkness from the distance, "...What the hell…?"

"Damnit..." The assassin cursed before she was caught by a large net made of thin metal.

Security officers heard the sounds of the metal net hitting the back wall and they rushed to the source of the noise.

Helena sprang to her feet, and in that same instance, the audience burst into horrified screams and many of the watchers jumped out of their seats and started out of the establishment in a frenzy. Helena reached out to catch her mother, who was spiraling to the floor from the impact of the shot. Helena reached her wounded mother before the elder woman could hit the floor of the stage.

In the midst of the chaos, Zell glanced back to where the shot was fired from, to see nothing there anymore, "Damn it..." He stomped his foot before sacrificing the chance to stop the assassin to go and see what was done on-stage.

"Mother… are you alright?" Helena asked as she gently pulled Maria onto her lap. Helena was sitting on her calves, cradling her mother as best she could.

"….Helena… my dear… you're not… hurt… are you?" Maria spoke weakly and slowly inched her right hand to touch her daughter's face.

"...No, mother, but you..." Helena tried to respond in a more dignified manner, but she was fighting against choking sobs.

Zell's eyes got wide and he froze in place for a split second, "...Shit..." he tore off into a sprint and slid to a halt beside the two women.

"Madame Maria! I'm… I'm sorry..." He frantically performed a blur of hand signs, followed by opening his palm. The arms of a clock appeared and slowed down. He placed the slowed clock onto the woman, which was absorbed into her chest, hoping to slow the deterioration time down so that the paramedics might have a chance to reach her.

It was at this moment that he was able to see just how much damage the woman sustained in that instant of saving her daughter, a timer showed up as well.

The woman looked over to her hired hand. "...You don't need to apologize… In fact… I should be thanking you."

"For what? I didn't do anything right." Zell responded with more than just a torn expression, but a wavering voice as well.

Maria smiled a little bit, "Actually, you did… the mission was.. to keep my daughter safe… and she's fine. You... stopped that p-person... from taking another shot... that could have hurt her."

"But what about you?" Helena interjected, "You're hurt now… what am I supposed to do mother?"

Maria returned her attention to her daughter, "...Helena… you have to be strong… move on..." She chuckled softly, "I've no regrets. This is the love that I have for you, my dear… though I wanted to see you down the aisle one day… maybe even play with my grandchildren… once or twice."

Zell blinked, "...D-damn it… I'm sorry Maria..." he lowered his head, clenched a fist and held it over his head to cover his face.

Helena looked at Zell before looking back to her mother, hugging the gravely injured woman tightly. "Mother, please hold on..."

She took her mother's hands, gripping them firmly, "Mother... Mother…! Please… just a little longer!"

Maria's grip on her daughter's hands, while strong at first, was starting to weaken. Zell looked at the woman, noticing the timer over her head, counting down fairly quickly. It wasn't as fast as it could have been, thanks to the technique he placed on her, but it wouldn't be much longer before her time was up.

Sirens finally started to wail outside, and a group of paramedics rushed the scene. They tried to get Maria's body away from Helena, but she didn't want to let the dying woman go.

"No! NO!"

"Madame, please, we need to get her to the hospital. There may be a chance we can revive her!"

Helena's grip released immediately, she had hope that the woman she idolized would be okay. The paramedics hauled Maria's body onto a stretcher and they talked to the woman as they rushed out, carefully and quickly. As they hauled Maria out, heading towards the exit from the stage, an item fell from her person and bounced onto the stage. Zell watched as her timer started to slow down even more. She was trying to hold on. Somehow that made him feel even worse. He clenched a fist out of fury, and trembled a little before taking a ragged breath.

Zell and Helena both stood up slowly. Helena slowly scooping up the item that her mother had dropped. Helena's dress was covered in blood from the waist down. Zell slowly turned his back against the sight before him and he started to walk away.

Zell's footsteps echoed fiercely though the sudden silence as the sirens faded away. Helena glanced down to her hands, her mother had dropped her locket. Helena didn't dare to open it, instead she looked to see Zell walking away. "M-monsieur Bodyguard…?"

Zell stopped when she addressed him in that way. Her voice sounded akin a scared child. He took a breath before responding, "… What is it, Madame Helena?" He didn't want to look back at her, but something forced him to. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and red. The fresh tears were still in her blue eyes. She tried to wipe her eyes but started to cry again.

He froze again, feeling powerless and reminded of something he'd had nightmares about, "Come on. Let's go, Madame Helena… I won't leave you like this..."

The 21 year old Soprano wiped her eyes again before speaking, "… I would like to see my mother, if they'll let me..."

"...Understood..."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Grief Pt. 1

" _Well, I missed my mark." An English female stated in_ _an annoyed tone_ _. She was in a penthouse suite on a cellular device._

" _So I've noticed." A man replied. "But even a failure can prove useful; And I can always find a use for a damaged specimen._ " _A man's voice, calm and conniving, on the other end of the call replied. He had a huge grin on his concealed face._

" _So, you've had a plan B this whole time?"_

" _Of course Report back to me for further instructions."_

" _Understood."_

The two weeks that Maria had gotten Helena and Zell together had certainly been worth it. After rushing the fatally wounded woman to the hospital, chaos erupted in Helena's world. The tabloids and news stations were relentless in their conspiracy theories about why Maria was killed. Zell tried his best to keep the 21 year old away from the public eye. He couldn't believe how fragile she had become.

The day before Maria's death, Zell had been invited to live with Maria and Helena, at least for the term of his assignment. He accepted, merely because free rent was something no logical person would pass up; and it would help him accomplish his mission.

" _...I apologize… But there was nothing that we could do..." The doctor told the two of them. "She died when she was being transported to the facility. Upon further inspection… we realized that it was a miracle that she even held on for that long."_

 _Helena was speechless, she was in shock, and she felt her stomach churn. She merely stood there. The team of doctors were afraid to continue, but the policy they had, forced them to._

 _Helena needed something, someone, to support her, otherwise she would have collapsed on the floor right there. She had taken a definite hit to her emotions, her mind in a chaotic swirl. She visibly grew pale and faltered in her stance, leaning on everything to try and steady herself, and when she managed to recover,the first person she saw was Zell, her bodyguard._

Three days after the incident occurred, Helena had not been seen in public. The report that she had been given was that her mother's heart was destroyed on impact, exploding in her chest. She never read it, merely handing the collection of paperwork to Zell. Further comments had stated that it was more than a miracle that she even made it halfway to the hospital itself. When Zell reviewed the report he could see very clearly the image of someone's heart being destroyed in such a manner. He didn't want to tell Helena about it though, since he didn't want to remember it himself.

The two nights that Helena had spent by herself had been fraught with gruesome nightmares, and she'd awoken in the middle of the night, screaming bloody murder. Zell was the first one on the scene every time. Her face had been drained of all color and her breathing was rough. Beads of sweat dotted her face and she just looked to the bodyguard every time he showed up. She didn't want to tell him what happened, though honestly she didn't need to.

Tonight was different. Helena had ordered her favorite food, blancmange and some iced tea. She also invited Zell into her private quarters for the first time.

"Master Zell?" A young looking blonde haired maid walked to the tall chocolate teen as he started for Helena's Room.

"… Yeah?" He glanced back casually, noticing the young looking girl's twin pigtails, light blue eyes, and apricot skin. He wasn't exactly in the mood to do anything, partially thanks to Helena's emotional state.

"I've prepared the Lady's favorites, and included a large pot of iced tea, just the way she likes it."

"Okay? That's fine. But what does it have to do with me?" Zell folded his arms and looked at the girl.

"Usually, the Lady and I would go out for coffee after her performances, and on days when she needed a smile or two. However, my Lady hasn't even spoken to me until today. She asked me to prepare this for the two of you." The girl's bashful look made her appear as though she were 12 instead of 16 years old.

Zell sighed. The death of Maria hit him hard, for a variety of reasons, but mainly, he had subconsciously begun to see her as the mother he never had. He was sure to appreciate the two weeks that they had spent together now. He already knew that it was probably a fraction of what pain Helena was going through.

"...Fine." He took the tray of refreshments and held it in his left hand, "I'll make sure she eats." He replied with an exasperated sigh.

The young maid smiled and bowed, "Thank you very much, Master Zell." She giggled and added, "I think I know why the Lady so fond of you." She scurried away before Zell could register what she'd just said.

He responded absently with, "...Yeah, yeah… whatever..." Yet when Zell was down the hall, standing before a pair of grand double doors that led to Helena's Master bedroom, "...Wait, hold up a sec… What did the brat say?" Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought and knocked on the door. "Helena. You wanted to see me?"

Helena's voice was hoarse as she replied, " _Oui_ , please, come in. Please, the door, if you would" Her vocals alone were enough to concern him as he carefully opened the door with his right hand and steadying the tray of snacks in his left.

Zell blinked. He wasn't expecting things to be this bad. Helena looked like a train-wreck. Her hair was in the messiest ponytail ever, as though an infant tried to style her up. She was dressed in a supremely wrinkled button up shirt and black pants, as if she had slept in her clothes and just rolled out the bed. She was sitting on her Queen sized bed, just staring at the bloodied locket that her mother had left behind.

Helena's Bedroom usually was a well kept area with several sections, a pair of large closets, a small living space for a table and a set of chairs, and a large space to hold her large bed and matching dressers. Today, her quarters looked like several tornadoes had a three day rave party there.

Zell blinked before sighing. It was really hard to see this woman in such a state, especially after seeing just how vibrant she could be. He furrowed his brows at the image of Helena being "vibrant" but that was the way he'd seen her one time, during the second week of "bonding time" that Maria had set up for them. Helena and himself were actually getting along that day, and she was smiling so much that she even seemed like a different person; far more laid back than her professional self, and definitely the polar opposite of the woman he was tending to currently.

"...Please, have a seat." She said dryly.

Zell went over to the table, near the seats and placed the refreshments down before looking Helena over. He was used to seeing death, and people trying to cope with it, and unfortunately, this was the same. While he was numbed to it, it was still difficult to watch.

"...Helena, your little teen assistant prepared the things you asked her for. But she said you wanted to see me, so I brought them. Let's have a seat and… try to talk this out?"

Helena looked up at him, her eyes dim, as if her fire had been snuffed out. She struggled to stand up and move, but she did as he suggested.

The two of them sat down at the table, and he poured her some tea. They both sat silently, merely sipping iced tea and sharing the Blancmange that had been prepared for them.

"…It doesn't taste the same..." Helena sighed. Zell looked up and raised a brow.

Helena droned about distantly, "I'm dreaming, right? I will just wake up from this… and my mother will be right by my side, hugging me… I'm still just a little girl, in reality… I have to wake up… It's just a dream..." She sipped her tea mechanically, no longer tasting it. Her eyes were wide and she looked like she was deprived of sleep, and of her sanity.

Zell had some information that might help her cope, but he wasn't sure exactly when the time would be right to reveal it. Maria's Funeral would be in another couple of days, so if he could find a way to get her to hold on for that long, his job as her bodyguard might be less stressful on his mental state, with her not in this mindset.

"...Helena… were you able to sleep at all?"

She shook her head, "Not at all monsieur bodyguard…" She struggled to take a breath and her voice wavered as she continued, "I've been crying all this time..."

He blinked., "...All this time?"

She nodded, "Oui. I miss my mother. She would hold me and I would sleep soundly in her warm arms..." She sighed and finished a cup of tea and slowly looked him over.

She stood up and walked over to him, her bodyguard. She sat beside him, the chairs were big enough to fit a trio comfortably if the need arose. She looked him in his eyes.

He sighed. Maybe what that little maid had said before was actually true. He wouldn't know it though, since she could just be acting on her haywire emotions, and not be thinking clearly. "...Helena…?"

She looked at him with her nearly vacant eyes. There was a small tinge of pain that was present and she looked like she was going to burst into tears yet again. Zell felt a chill before being overcome with a lot of questions about what he'd gotten into and things that he had done before. He pushed his cup to his lips to take another sip to beat away the remorseful thoughts. However, Helena lowered Zell's cup from his lips onto the table. As she had done so, her hands were shaking almost violently. In his confusion, he merely allowed her to continue whatever she was attempting to do.

"...Uh..."

The French woman took the younger man's arms and wrapped them around her. She rested her head on his chest, just close enough so that she could hear the beating of his heart. She slowly sighed and took a few moments to calm down. Zell wasn't uncomfortable with the action, it just caught him by surprise. He even gently caressed her back as she went from a terrified young child to a slightly stable, more composed woman, though it would take more time for her to be as she was before, if it was even possible.

Moments passed, and Helena sat up. She decided to change her clothes, as it was late in the evening. Zell had checked his watch before noticing the woman starting to get undressed, so he elected to give her some privacy and respect by heading out to the hall.

"Monsieur Bodyguard? Where are you going?" She asked when she spotted him silently walking towards the door.

He stopped in his tracks, and turned to face the apricot skinned woman. She had barely begun to take her shirt off, with only the first three buttons from the top being undone. "...Pardon me, Madame, but I shouldn't be present while you change into your nightclothes." It wasn't becoming of anyone who lingered while a lady changed. He knew it was very indecent on his end especially.

"...But I invited you in. As my bodyguard, you're supposed to guard my body, _non_?"

He sighed, and turned his back to face her. "….Very well, I'll keep an eye out."

Luckily for him, nothing happened while she changed. She softly signaled him when she finished changing and she sat back down in his seat at the table.

"...Um, Madame Helena…?"

Helena replied in a slightly warmer tone than she had before, but her emptiness was still there. She picked up a cup with tea in it, staring at herself in the liquid as she replied, "You can drop the title, you know… 'Madame' is...was, my mother. Besides, there is no need for all the formalities when we're alone like this."

Her behavior was surprising to him, perhaps Maria's death was turning her into something else completely. Zell shook his head of that thought, it was too soon to make that conclusion. "Well….Helena, What else do you need of me?"

She slowly sipped the tea and looked at the Blancmange on the table, "Would you like the last piece?"

Zell shook his head, "No. You can have it. I don't eat a lot of sweets."

Helena nodded, "I see. Very well..."

"So, was there anything else you needed me to do?"

Helena poured the last of the iced tea in her cup before she replied. She was dressed in a slightly transparent gown that, if one looked carefully, revealed that she wasn't wearing a bra. The gown extended to her mid-thigh, and like all of her other pajamas, hugged her figure down to her waist.

"I want you to stay with me tonight."

The chocolate skinned teen raised a brow out of sheer confusion."Uh, what?"

She slowly looked him in his eyes, and reiterated her statement, "Stay. Tonight. With me."

The two of them locked gazes, her gaze wasn't as icy or malicious as it usually was. It was almost pleading, begging, in a way.

He sighed and closed his eyes slowly, not failing to scan the woman's body as he did so. "...Fine… I'll stay posted in a corner or something."

Helena nodded, "Yes, that should do fine. Thank you."

Zell didn't respond, he instead took a quick scan of the room before electing to station himself near the front doorway where he would have the most optimal view of the room. Helena finished her snack before slowly crawling back into the bed and replacing her mother's pendant on the nightstand right next to her.

The French Soprano was sleeping soundly before long, and Zell took a small piece of paper out of his pocket and read it over. It was an 'anonymous' letter, from his boss, that had a little information about the attempt on Helena's life, a possible clue to the who and why of the situation. Zell waited an extra hour or so before folding the letter back and replacing it into the envelope it came in, before he returned to his post for the night. He was thinking of giving it to Helena early, but perhaps that would make her even worse.


End file.
